DETROIT — Usually when Gabe Valente is trying to sell a house, he highlights features such as a new kitchen or bathroom, a recently redone roof or windows or community amenities.

But the Windsor, Ontario, Canada-based broker hasn't had to dip into the hardwood-floors-and-plenty-of-sunlight playbook to attract homebuyers recently.

During this heated presidential election season, queries from Americans — and Canadians transplanted across the Detroit River now concerned enough to consider heading back home — have spiked 20%.

"They're just coming over. 'We're looking to move over this way.' ... People are actively looking for properties on this side of the border," said the 16-year veteran of the Essex County, Ontario, real estate market. "They're just coming on their own. We haven't been advertising."

The threat seems to resurface every four years, like garish red, white and blue T-shirts and 1990s-era political consultants opining on cable TV. But this year, it seems to be less hollow. Most of the people vowing to migrate to the Great White North seem to be those who oppose Donald Trump, whether regular folks or celebrities such as Lena Dunham of Girls fame and TV personality Raven-Symone.

Canada's federal immigration agency saw a spike in web traffic from American IP addresses in March, right after the start of caucus and primary season (Close to 12.3% of the 13.6 million-plus queries were from the U.S.) and again in June before the Republican National Convention (More than 10.2% of the 12.4 million originated in America.).